Who must register under Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme (FITS)?

Persons undertaking activities on behalf of foreign principals in Australia must register with the AG's Department.

The Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Act 2018 requires registration of persons undertaking 'registrable activities' on behalf of 'foreign principals' (governments, government-related entities, political organisations, individuals). Annual updates + transaction reporting.

Applies only if you undertake lobbying or political communication on behalf of a foreign principal. Whether it applies turns on a fact that no industry, structure or size settles on its own.

How the regulator frames it: Persons undertaking lobbying, communications, donor activity, disbursement of funds, or general political activities for foreign principals.

What triggers it: Commencing a registrable activity.

Jurisdiction: Commonwealth law, so the test is the same in every state and territory.

Outcome across the 35 industries Rules Mate maps (35 of 35: no).

The answer is the same in every industry: no. Industry does not change who must comply.

Structure does not change the answer across all industries: for every structure the answer is "no".

Size does not change the answer across all industries: at every size band the answer is "no".

Each line is one run of the Rules Mate applicability engine for a single business profile, with the reason the engine gives:

• Pty Ltd company in real estate agents with 6–19 employees, turnover $1M–$3M: does not apply. Requires a trigger outside this questionnaire.

Starting from a small or large professional services company that does not otherwise meet the test, each of these single facts changes the engine's answer:

• The business is foreign-owned: it becomes worth checking, because it applies only if you undertake lobbying or political communication on behalf of a foreign principal.

The engine shows this obligation as "check whether this applies" when a business has foreign ownership. It then applies only if you undertake lobbying or political communication on behalf of a foreign principal. That fact is not something Rules Mate can infer from industry, structure or size.

When due

Within 14 days of commencement; annual + on-change updates.

Frequency

Annual

Evidence to keep

FITS registration confirmation; activity records.

Status

Current

Priority

High

Maximum penalty: Criminal penalties up to 5 years imprisonment for serious offences.

Rules Mate has not yet classified the audit or assurance level for this obligation. Any audit, review or certification requirement is set by the regulator source listed below.

• Political donation disclosure thresholds (federal + state): Federal disclosure threshold $17,300+ (2024-25). State thresholds + caps vary.

Rules Mate tracks 6 published obligations tagged "transparency", 0 of them rated critical. For a professional services Pty Ltd company with 6–19 employees operating in every state, 1 of those apply outright. This obligation is rated high priority and carries criminal liability, and is a annual obligation.

Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Act 2018: Federal regime requiring registration of persons undertaking registrable activities on behalf of foreign principals.

• Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Act 2018

Free tools that help with this obligation:

• Compliance calendar builder